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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24727693">Like a Moth to the Flame</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NebulousLibrary/pseuds/NebulousLibrary'>NebulousLibrary</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergence, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Fuckbuddies, Other, Reader has AFAB equipment, Reader-Insert, Reader-chan is AFAB but no pronouns are used so could be gender neutral, Stress Relief, Temperature Play, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Zuko Has Issues, because i'm the author and I said so, fuzzy relationship lines but ya’ll are def in the bone zone, in this universe we rewrite ATLA so WE get to fuck Zuko, inappropriate use of firebending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:16:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,610</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24727693</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NebulousLibrary/pseuds/NebulousLibrary</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You are with the Gaang at Zuko's family's abandoned vacation home on Ember Island. Sozin's Comet is due to return in three days' time. The entire squad is stressed, especially Zuko. You approach him that evening in an attempt to help him alleviate some of his tension.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zuko (Avatar) &amp; Reader, Zuko (Avatar)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>467</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Like a Moth to the Flame</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello, Mallory here. It's been a hot minute since I actually wrote anything I felt like was worth posting, but I guess rekindling a 15 year-long fictional crush is what it took to pull this bitch out of her slump. No one come for my ass on this. I've been in love with this man since I was the ripe, tender age of 9 years old and my love for him has evolved over the years. Zuko is a forever bae.</p>
<p>Big thank you to my editor for helping me with this one as always. Find her at @soumarscosplay on IG (she's fantastic and gorgeous and I love her) and @biolotea on Tumblr (check out her work on @voltronshorts if you like Lotor at all. She hasn't written anything new on there in a while but god, she writes smut unlike any other. Okay, plug for my bestie over now.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Zuko had stormed off after dinner, and you were worried about him. You knew his fuse was short to begin with, but lately it seemed that being on a time crunch had him, and everyone, a little on edge. With the revelation of Zuko’s father’s plan for the day of the comet’s return, it was more crucial than ever that Aang would be prepared to take out the Fire Lord. There had been heated discussion that night, which ended with the suggestion that everyone just needed a good night’s rest and you’d all circle back in the morning with clearer, more level heads.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You found Zuko pacing in his room, mumbling to himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Someone seems tense,” you said, leaning against the doorframe of Zuko’s room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He exhaled and dropped his shoulders as he turned to you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I – yeah,” he trailed off, as if he had more to say. And you knew that he did. You could see it in his eyes. He had a million things swirling in his mind, and you didn’t expect him to be able to fully articulate them, but that didn’t mean you wouldn’t still do everything in your power to be there for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Talk to me, Zuko,” you probed, taking a small step forward and keeping a hand on the door. When he sat down on the bed, beckoning you through the exhaustion in his eyes, you took the hint and shut the door behind you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking your seat beside him, you splayed your palm on his back. You felt him let out the breath he’d been holding when you began rubbing circular patterns against the tensed muscles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, it’s just…a lot of things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko, how do you eat an armadillo bear?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you eat an armadillo bear?” you repeated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What does that have to do with anything?” he furrowed his brow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One bite at a time.” You poked him between the eyebrows, gently telling him to relax his scowl. “You can’t eat it all in one go. You have to take it piece by piece. Start with a leg, move on to the next. Break each thing down bit by bit, rather than taking it head-on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’re sure you’ve never met Uncle?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You nudged him playfully. “Come on now, tell me one of the things that’s on your mind, and we’ll go from there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well…” he began, taking a deep breath. “I guess that’s one thing right there. I feel so </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible</span>
  </em>
  <span> for what I did to my uncle back in Ba Sing Se. I don’t know where he is, or if I’ll ever see him again. Or…if I’ll ever be able to tell him how sorry I am.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko, wherever he is, I have no doubt in my mind that he still loves you, and so much more than you can probably imagine he does right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How can you say that so certainly?” he asked, resting his head on your shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You carded your fingers through his messy, dark locks and chuckled. “From what you’ve told me about him, and from what Toph’s said on her experience with him? He doesn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge. I think he cares about you very dearly, and that there isn’t anything that could hurt that bond.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe you’re right,” he sighed. “I still hope I get the chance to apologize to him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope so, too.” You could feel his breathing becoming steadier as he leaned into your gentle caressing more. “Okay, next leg. What else is on your mind?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The comet. My father. Aang. Impending doom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds like more than one bite at a time,” you said. But you understood. In a matter of three short days, Sozin’s Comet would return, and Zuko’s father, Fire Lord Ozai, would set out to burn the world to the ground and begin it anew, with himself as the self-proclaimed Phoenix King. And it was Aang’s destiny as the avatar to stop him. But Aang hadn’t seemed so certain about dealing the finishing blow when it had been discussed earlier. You were sure he’d find a way when it came down to the wire, but Aang’s initial apprehension was a bit…concerning, to say the least.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right now, the world just felt like it was moving so fast and yet so slow all at once. All any of you could do in the meantime was brace yourselves for what was to come.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you scared?” Zuko asked, sitting up and meeting your gaze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” You couldn’t lie to him. “I mean, I think we all are. And I don’t think any of us feel it out of doubt. I think this is just such a monumental ordeal that it kind of feels like it’s…looming over us?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think that’s how it’s hitting me too. Just a lot of </span>
  <em>
    <span>what ifs</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I mean, none of us have ever faced anything like this before.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked like he was going to start panicking again, so  you picked up the back rubs again. He let out a soft groan as you dug your thumb into a  knotted muscle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just...I don’t know how he plans to take down the father lord and </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> take his life.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You paused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fire</span>
  </em>
  <span> lord.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...That’s what I said.”.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You quirked a brow at him but  shook it off. Better to let him keep his dignity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All we can do is trust in Aang. He’ll do the right thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Trust in Aang…” he repeated. “You’re right. It’s ultimately his fight, and we’re here to support him however he needs us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You smiled. “That’s the spirit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“…I guess that means all we can do for now is get some rest, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You’d never seen someone look exhausted by the idea of trying to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t that mean you have to relax enough to fall asleep first?” you teased, now digging your thumb into a knot below his shoulder blade. He groaned at the pressure, and you eased up a bit, attempting to work out the muscle in gentler circles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, good point.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “I think I saw a kettle and some tea leaves downstairs. Will a warm beverage help?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You shifted yourself so you could lean against his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not right now, but…thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Your fingers now trailed up and down his arms, tracing the divots and peaks of his leanly toned biceps. He was always so </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm</span>
  </em>
  <span> (no surprises there), but in a way that drew you in. Rather than a suffocating heat, he was cozy and safe – your shelter and solace these last couple of months.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t as though you hadn’t wondered before, whether or not this actually meant anything — whatever this was. You’d been one of the few to welcome him into the group. You yourself had been fairly new and not nearly as chummy and bonded as the rest of “Team Avatar” was. But on his first few nights with the others, you couldn’t help noticing him keeping his distance. You hadn’t known — and still didn’t know — the full details of the history he had with them that led to such tension, but when you’d seen him standing away from the others as they cooked over the open fire, laughing and having a good time, it was you who’d initiated the breaking of his barriers. From the moment your fingers had first swept across his arm and you’d said the food was ready and asked if he was hungry, the two of you had clicked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gradually, you’d begun spending more of your limited free time together. When Zuko wasn’t training with Aang one on one, or on some kind of life-changing field trip with the others, he was by your side. He’d spar with you, despite your lack of bending ability. He insisted you didn’t need bending to fight, or to let your energy flow like a bender’s — all you needed was to be in tune with your body. He’d demonstrate the motions with his double broadswords before slipping them into your hands and guiding your movements. You remembered how warm you’d been that first time you felt his body in such close proximity to yours, how your breath had shaken as he told you that the key was to think of them as extensions of your own body. They were not two individual weapons, after all, but two halves of a whole. It was during that training session that you’d shared your first kiss together in secrecy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After that, you’d found yourselves wandering off together more and more. You’d explore the Air Temple you’d stayed at briefly, or he’d show you around here on Ember Island. He’d open up to you, something you got the feeling he didn’t do often. Zuko would tell you about his uncle, who was more like a father to him than Ozai, or about his mother and how he wondered what happened to her, or about his sister and her insane friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d spoken quite fondly of one of them, though, a girl named Mai. He mentioned that they’d been briefly involved, but things had ended before he’d left the Fire Nation to search for Aang to teach him firebending. He insisted that things were better this way, and that while things with Mai might have seemed too good to be true for bits and pieces of their relationship, there were moments when he felt frustrated, like neither of them truly understood each other. He said it was for the best. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Part of your heart didn’t believe him. But it didn’t stop you from developing some kind of fondness for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then the physical nature of your relationship had come into play. It was, admittedly, a great way for the both of you to get some weight off your shoulders. But it did leave you in this complicated gray area. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You shook yourself from your thoughts, trying not to get caught up in such things. What mattered was here and now, and that you had each other’s company tonight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We could always…help each other relax? Like last time…?” you suggested, cocking a brow at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A mischievous smile crept across his face. Gently he reached for you, cupping your jaw and brushing his thumb across your cheek. “Like last time,” Zuko said lowly as he closed the distance between your lips and his. He lingered before moving slowly, teasingly nipping at your bottom lip. You sighed, your hands finding purchase on his bare chest. He pulled back, but pressed his forehead against yours. “And like the time before that?” he smirked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And even the time before </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” you said, your fingers creeping their way up his neck and tangling in his hair with a firm grip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like we’re on the same page, then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pecked your lips once more before scooting back on the mattress, allowing you room to straddle him. One arm against your back, he cradled your body close to his, while the other wandered to the neckline of the gauzy nightgown you’d found in one of the closets. His fingers danced across the lightweight material, but you saw him hesitate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wordlessly, you smiled, dragging the hem down with your delicate fingers, revealing to him the remnants of “last time”. Marks that were deep violet and indigo just a few days ago littered your décolletage, now beginning to fade in softer hues. Zuko looked in awe, marveling at his own handiwork. As he grazed your skin with featherlight strokes, he wondered how it was that either of you had managed to keep your escapades secret from the others. He tried to be careful, but getting carried away seemed to be in his nature. How your little rendezvous had not been made known to the more perceptive of the group, especially Katara, was beyond him. He recalled an instance a few weeks ago when everyone was down at the beach, and Katara had asked how you’d gotten such strange bruises on your back. In your panic, you’d told her that you’d been training on your own and that one of your moves had backfired, sending you flying back against a tree which had a cluster of notches that must have bruised you. Neither of you were sure she’d bought it, but it didn’t matter now. All that mattered was that you were there now, in his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His gaze was fixed on one particular mark that sat just at your collarbone. You noticed the flash in his amber eyes before he dove in, latching himself to the fading bruise and renewing  its color. You sighed, pressing yourself into him more as he suckled on your sensitive skin, bringing new life to older bitemarks, as well as adding new ones. He gained courage as he worked his way down, untying the sash on your robe and exposing more of your chest. He looked at you with a foxlike stare and a smirk that said it all – he needn’t say a word for you to know that he was silently teasing your for your lack of undergarments. Your cheeks grew warm and you tried to look away, when he caught your chin and smothered your lips in a kiss deeper than before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carefully, Zuko slid the garment off your shoulders, leaving you completely bare in his lap. You could feel his cock beginning to harden beneath you, and your own wetness coating the front of his trousers. He continued to kiss you, each movement bolder and more confident than the last. His hands explored your body, each tender caress lingering as if he were memorizing you. His hands stilled on your hips and he pulled back from your kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There you sat in all your glory, under his scrutiny. He exhaled, staring at you with a hungry look in his eyes. You found yourself flustered mildly flustered, fighting the urge to cross your arms and cover yourself, when finally he spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re beautiful, you know that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sap</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was then that he cupped the undersides of your tits, giving a teasing squeeze before he once again began trailing kisses down your chest, leaving not  an inch untouched. He took one nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and giving a gentle tug with his teeth, making e you squeal. There was no mistaking his wolfish  grin as he glanced up at you. He repeated the motion, this time executing it with a firm pinch to your other nipple that had you whining and keening toward him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The more he toyed with you this way, the more you became aware of the way your body was beginning to ache for him. You ground your hips against him in search of any amount of friction that might bring you some relief. He moaned against your chest, and you felt its reverberation  sending shivers down your spine. You continued rocking your hips into him. You could tell he was starting to feel uncomfortable still restricted by his pants, especially with the way he now had a firm grip on your thighs and guided your movements.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko…” you whined, hoping he would take the hint and touch you already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a swift motion, he flipped you onto your back on the middle of the bed. Your chest heaved with anticipation as you watched him undress. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his trousers, and slid them down practically in slow motion. You bit your lip as you admired his neat happy trail and defined hip bones, all leading up to the moment his cock sprang free of its confines. It curved ever so slightly toward his stomach, thicker in the middle with a perfect pink head just peeking out from beneath his foreskin. The thought of how well he fit inside you, the memory of how blissfully he could reach all the right spots had you reeling  already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d never be bold enough to admit it, but he loved the dazed look on your face when you ogled him like this. How you looked at him like you wanted nothing in this world more. Your eyes were fixed on him as he drew nearer. He tilted your chin up to meet his gaze as he climbed above you, caging you in his smoldering embrace. He managed to take both your wrists in his other hand, pinning them above your head as he planted his lips on yours and stole your breath. His kisses were never too rough, but always sure and steady. You let him take the lead, following his movements. You were writing beneath him before his tongue had even slipped its way into your mouth, intertwining with yours. He shifted his weight onto his knee, pressing you back down onto the bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko’s fingers trailed down your body, brushing just over your hips. He gave your thighs a gentle squeeze, pulling your leg to the side, and leaving your glistening core exposed before him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled away from your lip lock with a sloppy smack and brought his middle and index finger to your lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Open,” he ordered, and as if by reflex, you did. You took care to coat them thoroughly in your saliva as he pressed them deeper into your mouth. He pressed them down against your tongue, sliding back further until you gagged on them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A look of fear crossed his face as he pulled back immediately and released his hold on your wrists.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry! Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” he asked with genuine concern.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I’m fine,” you reassured him, grabbing his wrist, guiding him back toward your mouth. “It’s just a reflex, and actually –,” you curled your tongue around his digits once more and giving them a suck for good measure, you released them from your mouth with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pop</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His face was flushed and he swallowed hard. “– it felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>great</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-if you’re sure,” he stammered. “So, we should…keep going, then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You cupped his cheek, thumbing over the soft flesh. You’d never get over how gentle he was. It was charming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Absolutely.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He resumed his position above you, and you encouraged him with a leg hooked over his hip as he finally began to stroke your folds. His fingers would just barely catch at your entrance and you would whine for him, digging your nails into his upper arms and canting your hips toward him, when finally he quit his teasing and took the plunge with a squelch. He started slowly, dragging his digits out only to swiftly dive back in, building to a steady, rhythmic speed. You gasped as he started scissoring his fingers inside you, stretching your walls in preparation for what was to come.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He peppered kissed along your jaw as he worked, stroking along your walls in search of your sweet spot. You let out a moan when he found it, and he continued to focus his attention right there, curling his fingers and rolling his thumb in smooth circular patterns over your clit. The room was filled with wet noises and moans you tried to stifle by biting the back of your hand. But as you drew closer to your release, it was no use.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You writhed beneath him as your orgasm washed over you, and Zuko kept massaging that spongy spot as you rode out every wave on his fingers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Your chest heaved as you made the attempt to catch your breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay? Did that feel good? Do you need – “</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You shut him up by yanking him down for a kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You ask </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> too many questions,” you said through heavy breaths as you released your hold on him, shakily pushing yourself upright. He knelt before you with that stupid, cute, doe-eyed look on his face. It was an amusing sight, given that he’d just made a mess of you. You took his face in your hands and kissed him. “Now it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> turn.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You lightly pushed back on his chest and he leaned against the headboard, relinquishing the control you’d granted him before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good boy, Zuko,” you purred as you crawled into his lap. You straddled his thighs, sitting high so he was face to face with your chest. You tilted his face up toward you, and you stared at him with a half-lidded gaze, chewing on your lower lip. He swallowed hard and reached for your waist, when you swatted his hands away. “Ah, ah. No touching until I say so, got it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Sloppily, you licked your palm and took his dick in your hand, coating him evenly in the mixture of your saliva and his precum. You pumped slowly, taking care to pull back his foreskin on the downstroke, and giving it a good squeeze on the upstroke. You could tell he was fighting the urge to buck into your hand, but he behaved and stayed still for you. As you picked up the pace, the more he came unraveled, though. His head lolled back and you could see the strain in his neck with each bob of his Adam’s apple.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-please…” he murmured, gripping the sheets hard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm? What was that,? Come on, use your big boy words. Tell me what you want,” you said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, I need you to – </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit</span>
  </em>
  <span> – I need you to ride me!” he cried out, hopefully not loud enough for any of the others to hear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You smiled sweetly at him, positioning yourself above him. You smacked his cock against your still-slick lips, teasing him one last time for good measure. “That’s all I needed to hear.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You sank down on him slowly, your thighs still slightly shaky from before. Your sensitive walls fluttered at the intrusion, as he filled the space previously occupied by his fingers. When he was fully seated inside you, you put your arms around him to steady yourself and firmly gripped the hair at the base of his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can use your hands now, Zuko,” you told him, and immediately his hands came around to grope your ass. He urged you forward and you rolled your hips, eliciting a moan from him. He did it again, this time guiding you a little more firmly in your movements, but still not quite rough enough for your liking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You recalled a time before when he’d gotten a little carried away and left a scorch mark or two on your thighs, something for which he’d apologized profusely and probably was the root of his cautious nature now, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>stars</span>
  </em>
  <span>, how you wished he’d do it again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Harder than that,” you growled, placing one of your hands over his and showing him how you wanted him to dig his fingers into you. He complied, or so he thought, until you again demanded, “Harder!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time he gripped tighter and timed a powerful thrust with your movements, that did, admittedly, feel incredible. You went along with it, hoping that with the next thrust would be accompanied by a smack to your ass, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but he never delivered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn it, Zuko, burn me again!” you cried out as you twisted your fingers in his shaggy hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” he asked as if he couldn’t believe his ears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You heard me. I want you to leave marks on me again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Zuko,” you begged him, rutting needily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-if you’re sure this is what you want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He warmed his hands slowly, and you savored the feeling for a moment before ordering him to spank you. He was timid, but with your sure and assertive stare, he swallowed his inhibitions and struck you on the rear, the smack descending into a quiet  sizzle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You cried out in pain and pleasure, begging for him to do it again. And so he did, this time with more gusto. He was getting the hang of it, finally giving you what you needed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As his confidence grew, slowly but surely, he took over the majority of the work. His swing would come down, and he’d grip you tight and guide your rocking hips as he continued to buck up into you. By now, your ass was flushed a bright, sore pink and your thighs felt like they’d give out under you. You clung to Zuko, burying your face in the crook of his neck and biting down to stifle your moans. You attempted to snake one of your hands down to massage your aching clit, but Zuko caught you by the wrist and mimicked your earlier words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, ah, ah. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No touching</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said with a smirk. He pressed against your back, so your chest was flush against his as he continued to use your body to chase his release. He was a merciful lover, however, and now more comfortable with this new style of firebending, he reached between your bodies and drew warm circles around your clit. The heat was magnificent – not enough to burn, but just enough to amplify the sensation. The combination of that and his dick reaching all the right places set something off in you. Soon enough you felt that tightness coiling in your belly again, and you tried to control your muscles that were beginning to spasm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Zuko</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” you whined, forehead pressed against him and tendrils of your hair sticking to your face. You couldn’t hold out any longer, and neither could he.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Do it</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he ordered you. “Come for me, baby.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Your whole body shook as another orgasm tore through you, this one more intense than the last. Your ears rang and your vision went splotchy. All you could do was hang onto him as the walls of your cunt spasmed around him and waves of pleasure wracked your body. He clutched you tightly as he drilled into you with fury, giving your ass one more fiery smack before his hands stilled, fingers digging into your tender flesh. His cock pulsed, spilling rope after rope of his seed into you. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pair of you sat there for a few moments, too dizzy to move, when finally Zuko broke the silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he said, still catching his breath as he brushed your hair back behind your ear and pecked you on the cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A part of you knew that he meant it in more than the one way. You’d been a comfort to him in the short amount of time you’d spent together, and though the time was short, neither of you could deny the connection you had. You contemplated expressing this to him, but you supposed it could wait until after the world was saved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You wobbled as you peeled yourself off of him, your breath catching as he pulled out of your sensitive cunt, and you collapsed beside him. He smiled at you softly, lithely climbing over you, donning the robe you’d shed earlier, and whispering that he’d be right back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He returned with a damp cloth and a cup of water for you. He peeled your thighs apart one last time for the night and saw to it that you were properly cleaned up and hydrated before he climbed into bed beside you, gathering you in his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feeling better?” you asked, nuzzling into him as he snuffed out the lantern across the room with a flick of his wrist. The room instead filled with pale moonlight, delicately illuminating his features.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mhm. And you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You closed your eyes, buried your face against him, taking a deep whiff of his spicy, woodsy aroma and smiling to yourself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is always better with you around.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>UwU I have no regrets.</p>
<p>I have....ideas for where this story would go if I continued it past the end of the TV series and into the comics timeline....and I can't promise I'll follow through on writing it properly, but uh. If you're interested in seeing more of this, please do share your thoughts. Commentary is always welcomed and appreciated!</p>
<p>As always, you can find me @nebulous-library on tumblr, or @MalloryAgain on Twitter.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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